CA board approves fiscal year 2015, 2016 budgets

The Columbia Association Board of Directors approved the capital and operating budgets for fiscal years 2015 and 2016 Thursday evening.

The board was unanimous in its approval of the FY15 and FY16 capital budgets, which total $12.81 million and $9.66 million. The FY15 and FY16 operating budgets, which total $63,014,000 and $65,226,000, were approved by a 6-3 vote, with board members Alex Hekimian, Gregg Schwind and Russ Swatek voting against.

Board member Tom O'Connor, of Dorsey's Search, was absent.

Notable allocations for capital projects in the FY15 budget include $4 million for construction of Haven on the Lake, CA's downtown wellness retreat in the Rouse Company building, $400,000 for improvements to the Dorsey Hall bathhouse, $350,000 for architecture and engineering for an indoor tennis facility at the SportsPark and $200,000 to build a park with bocce ball courts near the Hickory Ridge Village Center.

Notable allocations for capital projects in the FY16 budget include $550,000 for upgrading equipment at CA's existing fitness facilites, $400,000 for watershed projects and an additional $200,000 for the Hickory Ridge project.